


Malice of Courage

by TwilightHour



Series: The Cryptid of Linked Universe: Hero's Spirit [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Malice - Freeform, Master Sword (Legend of Zelda), gang meets First but it's actually the first Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:21:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29703957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightHour/pseuds/TwilightHour
Summary: Sometimes, one must do drastic things to protect the land you love, even if your anger at your land's people is enough to form into a physical form.
Series: The Cryptid of Linked Universe: Hero's Spirit [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181147
Kudos: 25





	Malice of Courage

It was raining.

Granted, rain in Wild's Hyrule is not unusual.

But rain that goes against the sheikah slate's weather predictions, is.

It didn't help that there was lightning too, and so Sky started hovering over Time's shoulder ready to catch the thunderbolts.

* * *

They found a mountain.

And where mountains are found, there are caves and monsters.

After clearing out the local monster population in a cave large enough for the nine of them, Wild set up the campfire and began roasting dinner.

A hiss from Four broke the silence as Wild and Time jumped forward, and Four jumped back.

A tiny pool of Malice.

Four grumbled as Hyrule checked his foot, (the leather was gone for good) and Wild made an executive decision.

He summoned a torch, lit it, and headed to the malice puddle.

Surprisingly, it evaporated from the flame; or maybe the liquid was moving deeper into the cave?

He turned to Time, meaning to ask for permission to investigate-

Time's shaking head answered his unspoken question.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, after Four was gifted a makeshift boot by the combination of Warriors, Wild and Wind, they packed up and headed downwards, following the now-visible trail of Malice.

Only a single hour into the exploration, they met solid claws of Malice and an Eye of Malice, blocking their path.

But the Eye wasn't yellow.

It was blue.

The Eye pulsed, and then the claws of Malice became liquid and slipped out of their way.

"...Let us continue." Time said, moving forward himself.

They continued through the tunnel; a gentle downward slope, the Malice slowly becoming thicker and thicker.

They would pass a glowing blue Eye of Malice, and the solid chunks of hatred would leave their path.

Only forging through this cave of Malice would they get their answers.

* * *

They found the end of the tunnel.

It was a ledge above a large cavern-not a pool of Malice, but a giant depiction of the Triforce.

If they squinted, they spotted an item in the center of the image.

Tendrils of Malice appeared under the edges of the stone plate, only ever going outwards, or forming into Eyes of Malice or claws or walls.

Twilight stepped to the edge, and golden stairs appeared at the movement.

The others blinked, and Twilight explained that things like this happened on his adventure.

The stairs pulsed invitingly, and they entered the cavern's ground level.

* * *

Twilight, (as the sudden expert on suddenly existing Triforce glowing things) stepped up to the stone Triforce plate.

Like the ledge, the image gently glowed.

Footsteps.

The group turned around, hands on their swords.

Golden hair and green clothes greeted them instead. Long red scarf flowing in nonexistent wind.

Eyes filled with Malice; although they saw the blue in them quite clearly. Drops of the stuff fell from his clothes, and a thin line of purple went from his scarf to the edge of the platform, where it transformed into Malice tendrils.

**"My kin."**

The Malice-covered Link gently smiled at them all, even as they felt the force of some emotion surrounding the spirit.

**"You really could've knocked; I haven't time to prepare for your arrival."** he huffed, his hands on his hips.

Ignoring their protests, the ghostly Hero rushed around the dusty chamber, (at least the edges of the Triforce platform) tendrils of Malice sweeping the place like brooms and dusters.

Then he snapped, and solid chairs of Malice formed just outside the Triforce platform.

**"It shouldn't hurt you; if it does, then pray say so. Sit!"** he asked.

The Chain cautiously sat down.

**"Now then; what have you to do here, my kin?"** the spirit Link asked, brushing away the built-up Malice from his eyes and shoulders.

"What the @#$%& are you!?" Legend hissed, ignoring the shouts of "Language!"

**"A being of Malice, sealed here."**

Thankfully, he didn't seem offended by Legend.

"That's the Master Sword in the middle, isn't it?" Sky observed, gripping his pant leg.

The spirit nodded, **"My sealant. As to why, you'll have to ask."**

Time didn't waste time, "So, why?"

The spirit sighed, putting his hands on the malice-made table, (when had that appeared?) and told his story.

_Of an ancient people growing complacent, and eventually, announcing that heroes were no longer needed._

_Locking away their only hero, mocking and torturing him, only for the god of evil to rise and slay thousands._

_Calling their imprisoned hero, only for him to fall because of wounds inflicted because of them._

_Dying to save them all, releasing them into the sky, and wishing for eternal rest._

_Being denied that rest by his own past, suck in a cycle of anger at the people who imprisoned him. That anger twisting into a physical form and rotting away the rest of his flesh._

**"And so I remain here, locked in the realm of the living, and sealed under my own power."** the spirit finished, his Malice-infused scarf twisting in the air gracefully.

Sky promptly crashed onto Warriors' shoulder, fast asleep.

"So you've remained here for thousands of years, under a seal you placed yourself?" Time said, putting together clues.

**"Yes."**

The infected spirit waved his hand, and a Malice-made bed appeared.

**"That should do for the sleeping one."** He said, giggling as Warriors fumbled Sky onto the surprisingly soft bed.

Time turned the conversation back onto topic; "So your... anger is directed towards hylians; what makes us so different?" from... certain events, they didn't have any trouble fighting other Links.

**"If you were mere hylian travelers, my Malice would've slain you the moment you were spotted by my Eyes."**

**"But some of you carry Hylia's power; the sleeping one carries my blade; you all carry some of the items Hylia created for future protectors of Hyrule."**

**"You are my kin. That is all."**

Warriors successfully got his scarf from under Sky.

"Would you like to join us?"

That was Wind.

The Spirit Link blinked, **"You would have me?"**

"I don't see why not." Wind shrugged, "I mean, you can control your malice pretty well, right?"

**"Yes, but-"**

"Then we have nothing to worry about!"

The spirit smiled; not that strained one from before, but a true one.

He stood up, walked to the center of his now-known sealing area-

And pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal.

**"I can only hope not to disappoint you, Heroes of Hyrule."**

He put the sword in it's sheath, and the leaking Malice was contained.

They had a new companion.

**Author's Note:**

> Gang meets the First Hero; the actual First Hero, not the Spirit of The Hero in the first hero's face.
> 
> Yeah.


End file.
